


A Best Friend is Better than a Lover

by Kay_Erin



Series: Dorian Friendship- A Best Friend is Better [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Inquisitor & Dorian Pavus Friendship, Inquisitor/Solas breakup, Lavellan/Solas Angst (Dragon Age), Past Lavellan/Solas (Dragon Age), Protective Dorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22273816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kay_Erin/pseuds/Kay_Erin
Summary: When Dorian doesn't see his best friend, the Inquisitor Ellana Lavellan, for a few days, he gets worried. When he hears from Leliana that something happened between Ellana and Solas, he gets even more worried.---Dorian helps the Inquisitor start to move on from Solas, after Solas ends it with Ellana.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor & Dorian Pavus, Female Lavellan/Solas
Series: Dorian Friendship- A Best Friend is Better [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610242
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	A Best Friend is Better than a Lover

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note: Vallaslin are the face tattoos for elves!  
> Alright, enjoy!

It had been a few days since Dorian had seen Ellana. This was, of course, no large surprise, since when she went on missions she tended to take Solas. Of course, most of Ellana’s close companions knew she took him because they were in a sort of romantic relationship. It wasn’t largely known, but Dorian knew. He and Ellana had grown close since she arrived in Redcliffe, They respected each other, got along, worked well together, and Dorian appreciated all she was doing, and going through. He considered her a close friend, and she had admitted not long ago that she felt the same way, much to the chagrin of the Chantry sisters in Skyhold.

So not seeing Ellana for days, sometimes weeks on end, was not unusual. But Ellana had been back at Skyhold for over 5 days now, and Dorian had not seen her recently. For meals, for noble meetings, nothing. Today was the second day without any sight of her, and he was worried.

His first stop was Leliana, of course. “Dorian, what can I do for you?” she asked, leaning back in her chair.

“I am looking for our dear Inquisitor,” he stated. “I’m hoping you, or your people, have seen her?”

The Spymaster leaned back, sighing. “She’s in her quarters. The night before last Solas took her out, not far from Skyhold. They came back...separately.”

Dorian’s jaw locked. “...Oh really?”

She nodded slowly. “I do not know specifics, but...she came back without her Vallaslin.” 

His jaw dropped. “I’m sorry, what?”

Leliana nodded, leaning forward now. “I have not seen her since then, no one has. But my scouts say that when she came back that night, hours before Solas I might add, her face was...bare.”

Dorian turned on his heel, pacing in front of the woman. “Her marks were just...gone? Completely?”

“That is correct,” Leliana responded. “But no one has seen her since she came back, kitchen staff are dropping meals at her door.”

Dorian stopped, took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “Thank you, Leliana. I appreciate the information.” Leliana nodded and watched Dorian spin on his heel and stalk down the stairs. Leliana hoped Dorian helped, they needed Ellana. 

Dorian moved past the space Solas normally was, the elf apostate was gone. Part of Dorian was grateful, he didn’t want to say anything or do anything he’d regret, not without speaking to his friend first. He sped up the tower, taking the steps two at a time to get to Ellana. If Leliana didn’t know what happened, something bad had occurred. Something very bad.

Knocking on her door as soon as he got there, Dorian waited to hear her soft, “Come in”, before swinging the door open.

He moved into the room to see Ellana sitting at her desk, papers spread around her. She leaned back, smiling softly. “Hi, Dorian.” Dorian instantly noticed her lack of Vallaslin, and how strange it felt to see her like that. All the time he had known her, part of her charm had been the branches on her cheekbones, and now she was smiling at him without them. 

Dorian quickly made the decision to approach the whole situation gently; Ellana was not the kind of person to take brash questions well. “Hello, darling,” Dorian replied, smiling and leaning against the desk. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”

She chuckled softly. “That’s an understatement. Nobles are constantly wanting my opinion and my help. Josie has luckily only sent more important ones for me to look over.”

“She is a doll,” Dorian commented, glancing at one of the papers closest to him. As soon as he realized it was a draft of some sort of complicated treaty, he put it right back down. “Well, I was worried about you.”

“What? Why?” Ellana replied, furrowing her eyebrows. 

“Because I haven’t seen you in two days,” Dorian stated, standing and moving to her fireplace, which was lit and crackling. “And we were supposed to have dinner last night as well as lunch with the research team today.”

“Oh Maker, I’m so sorry!” Ellana cried, jumping up from her chair and moving towards him. 

He chuckled and smiled, hugging her and she approached him. “It’s alright, darling. Really. The team was happy to talk with me, we’re making wonderful progress on Tevinter history”

She let out a sigh of relief, sitting with him on the couch. “Good, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Of course,” he replied, leaning back, his arm behind her. “So…”

Ellana raised her eyebrows, meeting his gaze. “Yes?”

Dorian felt guilty as worry filled her face. Obviously he wasn’t smiling, thinking about what Leliana had told him, and while he didn’t want to push Ellana, he needed to make sure she was okay. Because locking yourself in was not okay. 

“...Ellana, you don’t have your Vallaslin anymore,” Dorian said softly.

Ellana’s hands instantly went to her cheeks, shock lining her face. “Ah, I…”

The air stated silent for a moment, before Dorian said, “You forgot?”

Ellana slowly lowered her hands, nodding slowly. As she twisted her hands, Dorian reached over and took her hands in his own, intertwining them together. Ellana had a tendency to bite her nails when nervous, which had even led to her nail beds bleeding; Dorian didn’t want this to make her nervous, he wanted her to be comfortable with him.

“You don’t have to tell me you don’t want to,” Dorian whispered. “But I need you okay, we all do. And...locking yourself up here it’s okay.”

Ellana sighed, nodding slowly. “You’re right...I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Dorian stated, shaking his head as he squeezed her hands. “Now, start from the beginning.”

* * *

It was hours later when Ellana had finished the story. At Dorian’s request, she started the story when the flirting had first started, months before Ellana had met Dorian. She gave him all the details she remembered, explaining everything. 

When she had started the story, when he had come to see her, it was only a few hours after lunch. Now, as she finished explaining what had happened a few days prior, it was late evening; the sun had already set, the fireplace burning happily, empty platters that had been dinner were set aside, and two empty bottles of wine joined the plates.

Ellana was curled up on one of the armchairs, sitting sideways in it with her back to the fireplace, while Dorian was splayed over the couch, both of the glasses of wine in their hands.

“And he just LEFT YOU?!” Dorian cried, his jaw slack at the information she had just given him. 

Ellana nodded, taking a deep breath. “...yes.”

Dorian sat up then, with some struggle, moving closer to Ellana. “What did he say, exactly?”

Ellana looked up at the ceiling, repeating the words that had been stuck in her mind for days now, “‘And I am sorry, I distracted you from your duty. It will never happen again...Please, vhenan.’ I asked him to stay, saying that I loved him, and then he said, ‘You have a rare and marvelous spirit. In another world-’ I asked, ‘Why not this one?’ and he just said….’I can’t. I’m sorry.’ then he...walked away.”

Dorian groaned, leaning back against the plush sofa. “Maker, Men are ridiculous.”

Ellana laughed softly. “Dorian, you’re a man.”

“That’s the point!” He cried, waving his arms. “If I, a gay man, know it’s stupid, then straight men are so idiotic it must physically hurt them!”

Ellana laughed, her smile wide at Dorian’s antics. Dorian noted this, happily, sure it was the first true smile and first true laugh she had had in days. “Maybe...maybe you’re right,” she agreed softly, gazing down into her glass.

Dorian took a deep breath, leaning closer to her. “Ellana, darling...after hearing the whole story, everything, I...think I know what happened.”

She instantly sat up, her pointed ears perking up slightly as well. It was something Dorian had noticed with Ellana, but not most other elves; she was so emotional and accepting of her own emotions that she didn’t hide it. This meant that when Ellana was happy her ears perked up higher, when she was sad her ears actually lowered slightly, and when she was angry or frustrated her ears actually got red. It was interesting but Dorian didn’t want to study it, he wanted to use that information to help his friend.

“Really? What was it?”

Dorian sighed, setting down his wine glass. “...it was him.”

Ellana paused for a moment, her mind whirling over that idea. “What?”

“He ended it because, genuinely, he wants the best for you, and something is going on in his life that...isn’t,” Dorian explained.

Ellana stood suddenly, making Dorian jump slightly. She downed the entire glass of wine in her hands, before setting it down and pacing in front of the fireplace. 

“Ellana?” Dorian asked, growing worried at the speed of her movements.

“...I can see what you mean, but its ridiculous,” Ellana stated, her jaw clenched as her hands ran through her short, messy, blonde hair. 

“Well, yes, but-”

Ellana interrupted him continuing to pace. “If he really cared, as much as he says, then he would see that leaving me hurts me! I don’t care what he’s hiding, I just want to be with the man I love!”

“I know, darling,” Dorian agreed, deciding to let Ellana get out all her emotions. She had probably gone through the first two stages of grief. First, Shock and denial: this wasn’t happening, he didn’t mean it (aka locking herself in her room). Second, pain and guilt: why did he do this, it’s all my fault. That meant that the next stage was anger and bargaining: what Ellana was saying now. The best way to let her continue through the stages of grief was to let her do it herself, she had gotten through the first two alright, and Dorian had enough experience to know when people needed a little nudge.

Ellana paced and ranted for a few minutes, yelling about how stupid Solas was, and that he should know better. As she did so, Dorian opened the third bottle of wine he had requested form the kitchen staff, saving his favorite bottle for last, of course. Grabbing both glasses, he filled them up, holding out Ellana’s glass right as she fell back into her chair.

Ellana sipped it as her breathing evened out, the alcohol relaxing her slightly. After a moment of silence, she said, “...this is great wine.”

“I know, darling,” Dorian responded, drinking it as well. “Now...what are we going to do about all of this?”

Ellana sighed, her head falling back against the chair. “I...honestly don’t know.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Dorian stated, smiling. “First, I think it might be best for Solas to stay in Skyhold from now on, not go on missions.”

“Probably,” Ellana agreed, drinking more of her wine. “...Means you get to come with me, though.”

Dorian fake gasped, putting his hand against his chest, a smile on his face. “Me? Little old me?”

She laughed, nodding. “Well of course; I’m not taking Vivienne with me.”

“I do not blame you there,” Dorian agreed, the two laughing together.

“Oh god, that means I have to deal with you and Iron Bull together,” Ellana realized, covering her face.

Dorian continued to laugh, relaxing. “Oh come now, we’ll all have a blast.”

“...true,” Ellana agreed, smiling. “...what other things should I do about Solas?”

“Hmm...well I think not dealing with him every day will be most of the problem solved,” he stated. “You won’t have to deal with him much, then.”

“What about parties? Meetings?” she asked.

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, of course!” Dorian cried, grinning even wider.

Ellana laughed, her smile growing. “Or really?”

“Well of course,” Dorian responded. “A best friend is better than a lover, darling, always.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun idea I had, and it was a blast to write. I love the idea of best friend/sudo brother Dorian helping with a heartbreak.  
> And honestly, I already have ideas for a second part? If you want a part two, leave a kudo or comment!


End file.
